Manchester in the mid-seventies, Granada TV presenter Tony Wilson (Coogan) is one of 41 people attending a Sex Pistols gig. Inspired by the beginning of this new era of music, he sets out with his friends/business partners signing up various unknown bands Joy Division (who later become New Order) and the Happy Mondays, setting up the records label Factory Records� and opening Manchester�s first rave night clubs, including the infamous Hacienda. The story follows the rise and fall of Tony Wilson�s efforts, mainly through his eyes, offering us an insightful, and for some, a memorable piece of British history.
Sounds very simple doesn�t it? Well it isn�t, this is a complex story that cannot be simplified and typed in a few hundred words, and I�m not going to try, because to be honest, a lot of it went over my head. If you didn�t live through that period, especially as a youth, this is a peculiar movie, with even stranger tastes in music. I wonder if people watching this will be embarrassed at what they loved back then, and how much of an arse they made of themselves? That said, this is superb nostalgic storytelling, the essence of (what I perceive) the seventies captured on film like it has been locked away for decades in a reel tin. This does not only consist of �cinefilm�-like photography, there are some nice contemporary touches to it, almost becoming surreal at points, especially when Wilson comes out of character and almost narrates himself and the movie, as a third person.
Wilson, like the movie, is a complex person. After meeting him (and his lovely wife) at the premiere, I�ve learnt that this is a guy trying to get the most out of life. He is indeed a man on a mission, trying to aspire to something higher, leaping before he looks, and as the movie shows, thus failing in his goals. Coogan proves himself worthy of the task of portraying Wilson; he does a fine job, without turning the movie into a comedy, which is NOT what the movie is. Yes, you may think there is a little Alan Partridge in Tony Wilson, but Steve grew up watching Wilson on TV, so really there is a little Tony Wilson in Alan Partridge. This is a much better movie outing for Coogan (compared to the lacklustre The Parole Officer), and a much more entertaining movie throughout, with detailed plot, a fine supporting cast from some of Britain�s finest, and some good/strange music, depending on your tastes. |
